Glass feeding apparatus



Nov. 11, 1941. G. RUPPERT 2,262,459

GLASS FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 blz-.1123

Nov. 11, 1941. G. RUPPERT 2,262,469

GLASS FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 11,1941. Q RUPPERT GLASS FEEDING APPARATUS 3 shets-sheet 5 Filed Feb. 25,1939 m f I1 HHH/20 f Geary@ Faja/Jeri Patented Nov. 1l, 1941 u 2,262,469GLAss resume ArrAnArUs George Ruppert, Sand Springs, Okla., assignor toAlexander H. Kerr & Company, Inc., Sand Springs, Okla., a corporation ofNevada Application February 25, 1939, Serial No. 258,428

1 Claim.

'I'his invention relates generally to an apparatus for producing formedcharges of molten glass adapted for charging the molds of a glassfabricating machine, and more specifically to an improved apparatuswherein a mass of molten glass is contained in a reciprocating reservoirhaving a bottom orifice through which the molten glass is allowed toflow, and wherein the flow is restricted by a stationary rod or plungerso that globules of glass are formed which are sheared from the mass ata point just below the orifice.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the typedescribed which will produce a charge of molten glass having a surfacewhich is free from tails or ripples.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus whichaffords numerous adjustments for controlling the condition, quantity,and rate of formation of each charge.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of an embodiment of this invention illustrated by thedrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the new apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of certain parts inFig. 1 showing more particularly the relation between the boot and thereservoir.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of that part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional plan taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

A continuous supply of molten glass is contained in an extension or bootIII of a glass melting tank II. The boot is' a closed containerconstructed of a suitable refractory material I2 which is set in a steelshell I3. The boot is rigidly supported by members I4 and I5. Set in thetop and side walls of the boot are gas burners I5 for the purpose ofkeeping the glass supply in a molten condition. In the bottom of theboot is an orifice I'I through which the glass can be i discharged fromthe boot III.

The orifice I'I is formed by inserting a bushing I8 into an aperture inthe bottom of the boot II).- The bushing I8 is secured in position byremovable plates I3 so that bushings having different diameter oricesmay be easily interchanged. The orifice I1 of the bushing I3 ta- -persfrom a large inlet opening to a smaller outlet opening. Positioned inthe large inlet portion of the orice I'I is a valve consisting of astationary rod 20.

The rod is removably supported in vertical alignment with the orifice I1by a bracket 2I and a set screw 22. 'Ihe bracket is slidably mounted ona pair of rack bars 23.

Therack bars 23 are rigidly mounted in parallel vertical positions onthe sides of the boot III by plates 24. The rod 20 is so mounted inorder that it may be raised or lowered by a suitable means with respectto the orifice I'I.

The means for performing the vertical movement of the rod 20 (see Figs.2, 3, and 4) comprises a horizontal shaft 25 rotatably supported onbearings 26 located in the upper ends of vertical arms 2'I of thebracket 2I. Keyed upon the shaft 25 are pinion gears 28 which areadapted to cooperate with the rack bars 23 when the shaft is rotated.The rotation is accomplished by means of a bevel gear 29 keyed at oneend of the shaft 25, which gear is meshed with a second bevel gear 30keyed on the upper end of a vertical shaft 3I. The shaft 3I extendsdownwardly and at a right angle to the shaft 25 and is held in positionby a stop collar 32 abutting an apertured arm 33 extending from theplate 24. On the lower end of the shaft 3I is fixed a hand wheel 34.

.By manually turning the handwheel 34, the rotating motion istransferred by the shaft 3l to the bevel gear 30 and thus to the bevelgear 23 which in turn rotates the shaft 25 and the pinions 28. Therotation of the pinions against the stationary rack bars 23 will causethe bracket 2`I to slide up or down on the rack bars 23 depending on thedirection of the initial turning of the hand wheel. Any movement of thebracket 2i is transferred to the rod 20 which varies the lthrough thecrotch of the fork 36 is a set screw 33 which acts against the trough35. The tilt of the trough can thus be adjusted by adjusting the settingof the screw 39-in the fork l 36. The trough 35 guides the glass, whichis discharged from the boot I0 through the orifice Il, into a reservoir40, a portion of which is positioned beneath the boot III.

The reservoir 40 comprises a closed container constructed of refractorymaterial 4| fitted in a steel housing 42. The reservoir hasvan aperture43 in its top wall positioned directly below the orifice |1 throughwhich the glass enters the reservoir. `At'the opposite end of thereservoir is a gas burner 44 which is similar to and serves the samepurpose as the gas burners I located in the boot |0. In Athe center ofthe reservoir through the top wall is inserted a hollow cooling block 45which is connected to a tube 49 for supplying air or wind to thereservoir. In the portion of the block 45 within the reservoir is anvaperture 41 through which the wind or air can be introduced wheneverneeded.

Formed in the base of the reservoirl 40 is an aperture 48 into which isinserted a bushing 49 having an orifice 50. The discharge oriilce 50tapers from an enlarged inlet to a smaller outlet diameter. The bushing49 is held in plae by removable plates Extending into the enlarged orWell-like portion of the orice 50 is a-- rod 52 which constitutes1 avalve.

The rod 52 is adjustably supported in vertical alignment with theorifice -50 by a clamp 53 and a bracket 54 which is slidably mounted ona rack bar 55. The adjusting mechanism comprising a shaft 55 havingpinions 51 which is rotated through bevel gears 58 by a second shaft 59is similar to that previously described for the rod 20.

The reservoir 40 is supported on the upper end of a vertical piston rodby means of a collar properly timed intervals through conduits and' 55.Any suitable valve mechanism may be incorporated in the air system forthis purpose.

The cylinder l64 is mounted by its lower ilange 51 to a foundation 58.An upper ange 69 supports a suitable bearing sleeve 10 and is connectedthereto by bolts 1|. 1

Located on a threaded portion of the piston rod 50 immediately above thegland 10 is an adjusting collar 12 which abuts the upper end of thegland 10 when the piston is in its lowermost position; thus the strokeof the piston rod may be lengthened or shortened by means of the lcollar12.

To prevent the piston rod -59 from rotating about its own axis duringthe course of its reciprocation so as to keep the' orifice 59 alignedwith the rod 52 there is provided a device which comprises an aperturedlug 19 on the flange 99 through which is xed by a nut 14 and a stopcollar 15 a vertically extending rod 19. 'I'he rod 19 slidably engagesat its upper end an apertured arm 11 of a split collar 19. The collar isxedly IIS to swing about pins ||2 thus engaging the the orifice 50.

or air conduits m, mo', m, luz and loa are' for purposes of operation.Pipes |00 and |00' lead to a timing mechanism which actuates the valvemechanism 99, pipes |0| and |92 supply the air which drives the motor|00 at timed intervals controlledl by the valve mechanism 99, and pipe|09 supplies the air whichv operates the valve mechanism. The motor isdouble acting and its action is timed to synchronize with that of thepiston rod 90. A piston rod |04 of the motor 91 having an adjustingcollar |05 is connected toa yoke |09. The ends of the yoke |09 areequidistant from the rod |04 and carry apertured fork members |01.

The frame 99 includes a pair of sockets or hubs ||9 upon which arepivotally mounted a pair of bell cranks f||| by means of pins ||2 whichpass through the hubs of the lbell cranks The swinging action of thebell cranks Ai is obtained by connecting the short arms ||4 with theyoke |09 by means of links ||9. The linksv i|9 nt into the forked ends|01 and ||5 and are secured by pins |29. When the air motor 91 drivesthe piston rod |04 in and out, the motion is transferred by the yoke |06through the linkv ||9 to the arms H4 which cause the long arms bladesH8. The shearing mechanism 90 is preferably positioned on the piston rod50 so that the blades I8 meet each other immediately below The operationof the above described apparatus is as follows:

A supply of molten glass 9 is maintained in the boot I9 by the furnace||v and is-kept in its molten state with the aid of the burners I9. Thisglass is continuously discharged through the orifice |1 into thereservoir 40. The rate of discharge vis controlled by the valve or rod20 and depends on the requirements of the glass fabricating machine towhich the glass is ultimately dispensed.

The rate of reciprocation of the reservoir 49 is also dependent on theoperation of the glass fabricating machine and since this variable isxed the discharge of the' glass 9"'held in the reservoir 40 can only beeiected by the setting of the second valve or rod 52. It is obvious thatthe same amount of glass supplied tothe reserclamped to the piston rod50 through flanges 19 by tous an.

Also mounted on the piston rod 50 is a shearing mechanism 90'whichreciprocates with the collars 93 and 94 fit the rod 50 and may be voirmust be discharged and the rod 52,v therefore, is set so that a safehead of glass is maintained in the reservoir while providing a minimumofrestriction of the dow of glass when the reservoir is in its mostelevatedposition.

The rod 52 functions as an ejecting means for the globule when thereservoir 40 is travelling upwards and then as a restricting means whenthe reservoir is at the top of its stroke so as to create a neck 9 inthe globule 1.

The globule 1 is sheared from the stream discharged -through' theorifice 50 bythe shearing blades lll which are actuated as a part of theshearing mechanism 80. The mechanism is prei'- erably timed to performits function just as the reservoir 40 begins to travel downwardly. By

' having the shearing mechanism mounted so that it also reciprocates,the speed of the falling glass relative to the shearing blades may bereduced to a minimum which in turn reduces the possibility oi' the glasspiling up on the shearing blades. The advantages of having the shearingmechanism and the reservoir reciprocating with blades III swing togetherso as to bring the blades into cooperation below the orice 50. Thedistance below the orifice may be adjusted by changing the position ofthe shearing mechamsm on the piston rod 60.

It is realized that those skilled in the art may be able to makealterations in the disclosed structure without departing from the spiritot this invention and it is, therefore, intended that such changes beincluded within the scope of this invention as deilned in the followingclaim.

I claim:

An apparatus for dispensing formed charges of molten glass comprising areservoir for holding molten glass and having a discharge oriiice in thebottom thereof, a stationary rod positioned in said oriice andvertically aligned therewith for restricting the flow of glass throughthe oriilce, I a vertical piston rod for supporting said reservoir,means for reciprocating said piston rod so as to etlect a relativereciprocation of said stationary rod and the orifice, and means mountedon said rod for shearing the glass as it is discharged through theorifice, including two frames having an integral half collar forclamping said frames to said piston rod, a pair of bell cranks pivotallysupported on one of said frames, shearing blades carried by said bellcranks and means mounted on the other of said frames for swinging saidbell cranks about their supports so as to bring said shearing bladesinto cooperation beneath the orilce, said reservoir and shearing meansreciprocating with said piston rod as a unit.

GEORGE RUPPERT.

